


Promises To Keep

by star54kar



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Drama, Family, Friendship, Gen, Gen Fic, Grieving, Het, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Moments, One-Shot, Protectiveness, War, canon compilant, year written: 2007 - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-03
Updated: 2010-11-03
Packaged: 2017-10-13 01:38:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/131381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/star54kar/pseuds/star54kar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermione was exhausted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Promises To Keep

**Author's Note:**

> I tied for second place this week at [](http://www.dreamwidth.org/profile?user=hermione_ldws)[**hermione_ldws**](http://www.dreamwidth.org/profile?user=hermione_ldws), with the winning drabble scoring only one point higher! I'm very proud of this drabble. The prompt was one of my favorite poems, _Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening_ by Robert Frost and this piece was inspired by it's famous refrain. I hope you all enjoy:)

**Title:** Promises To Keep  
 **Rating:** PG  
 **Warnings:** Angst  
 **Summary:** Hermione was exhausted.  
 **Pairing:** None  
 **Author's Notes:** I tied for second place this week at [](http://www.dreamwidth.org/profile?user=hermione_ldws)[**hermione_ldws**](http://www.dreamwidth.org/profile?user=hermione_ldws), with the winning drabble scoring only one point higher! I'm very proud of this drabble. The prompt was one of my favorite poems, _Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening_ by Robert Frost and this piece was inspired by it's famous refrain. I hope you all enjoy:)

Promises to Keep

_The woods are lovely dark and deep,  
But I have promises to keep,  
And miles to go before I sleep,  
And miles to go before I sleep._   
~Robert Frost~   





*****

  
Hermione walked wearily beside Harry as they made their way through yet another dense forest. It had been days since Ron abandoned them, Apparating away with the fragile remains of their spirits. In the time that passed she and Harry had hardly spoken; as if leaving their grief unnamed could make it disappear. Or make Ron reappear. So far, it hadn't been working.

What little sunlight that filtered through the trees began to dim and Hermione knew that they needed to find a place to camp soon. A little further ahead in a quiet glen they found a level bit of ground, and Hermione quickly began weaving their protection charms, while Harry set up their tent for the night.

Hermione was exhausted; physically and emotionally drained, and yet she knew it would be a long time before she could sleep. The locket's chain hung heavily around her neck and the constant, icy chill from the Horcrux was maddening against her skin. Leaning her back against a tree, she sat alone on one side of the camp as the darkness descended upon them. She thought about Ron and her own disillusionment regarding their current situation. She had been naive to have thought of this mission as just another adventure; they all had been. She wished she could be home with a full stomach and a warm bed.

The locket grew surprisingly warm to the touch at the thought, and for a moment, just for a moment, she was tempted. Tempted to leave this impossible quest behind and find her family. But then she looked at Harry, sitting alone on the other side of the camp and she knew she would never do such a thing. Hermione made a promise that she would stand by Harry no matter what happened, and she would die before she broke that promise.

"Harry is family too," she whispered.

The locket grew cold at her words, and Hermione moved from her solitary place to sit by Harry's side. Neither of them spoke, but Harry smiled briefly as she joined him. Side by side they stared out into the darkness. Both of them were hurting. Both of them felt the aching void left by Ron's absence, and they still had such a long way to go.

But they weren't alone because they still had each other.

It would have to be enough.


End file.
